What does character education look like at Christel House Jamaica? Our “Be the ‘i’ in Kind” wall is the most visible part of our Character Education Curriculum. As staff, we use it to recognize a student who has been kind to others. What you can’t see is the time we spend every week, laying the foundation for Jamaica’s next great citizens.

Our Character Education Curriculum rests on four Student Core Values: Integrity, Respect, Responsibility and Independence (IRRI). Each term, we focus on one value, with a concentration on a character trait every month.

We started the school year with a focus on Respect, and in their weekly Character Education block, students studied Kindness, Appreciation and Gratitude. In September, they learned the importance of showing gratitude, identified persons in their life worthy of gratitude, listed ways they could show it, and made gratitude cards. Coming up this term is Integrity where Honesty, Self-Control and Determination take centre stage.

These character traits are also reinforced at general devotion every Friday through skits and a student-led character talk, as well as through monthly Character Awards.

“I am encouraged by the improvements in our students’ character,” explains Renae Raymond, Head of Social Services. “Having character as a scheduled part of our curriculum is critical in preparing them for life in the real world.”

Our IRRI Core Values:

• Respect: I will respect the right of everyone to be treated with kindness.
• Integrity: I will model integrity by being honest and having self-control.
• Independence: I will make the right decisions independent of others.
• Responsibility: I will take responsibility for my actions.